Tag Archives: Resume

Today I’m going to be giving you some tips on how to prepare for your job search. Most of these tips are things that I picked up over my 3+ years in college, and am finding very useful in my job search process.

Start early: It is never too early to start thinking about what you want to do after graduation. Whether you decide you want to go to grad school or get a job, taking steps towards that goal right from your freshman year can be really helpful. This does not necessarily have to mean choosing a definite major your freshman year, but if you do, that’s great!

Be smart with classes: Work towards getting good grades in school. I know a lot of people subscribe to the idea that employers never look at your grades, but trust me, some of them do. Sometimes the difference between you and another applicant would be your grades. That said, your grades do not define you. Take classes that are related to what you want to do, and in some cases, take ones that are not. If you are getting your degree from a liberal arts institution, you probably already have this area covered. If not, go out of your way to take classes that teach you important skills outside of your area of interest. Are you a business major who has taken a creative writing class? Great!

Get experience: There are so many ways you can get experience while in school. Here are some of them:

On campus jobs: On campus jobs are a great way to get experience. If possible, try to work for departments or offices that do things related to your career interest. So for instance, if you want to be an accountant, try to get a job with you school’s business office. Sometimes you might not be able to find related work and that’s okay. Just having a job teaches you many things that would prove useful in the future, so just go for it.

Internships: Put your summers to good use by finding an internship. The career services office at your school is a really good resource for finding an internship. Take on a paid internship in another city, or an unpaid one where you live. Either way, you’ll be getting some really good experience.

Clubs, Organizations, and Community Service: Although these are often very informal, they are a good way to learn new things. Improve your leadership skills by serving as the president of a club, or put something you learned in the classroom to test by volunteering to write press releases for a local organization.

Actively seek opportunities for growth: Attend seminars, workshops, or conferences during your spare time. They might not contribute directly to your career goal, but they could help you grow as an individual and young professional.

Work on your resume: As you go along in your education and start to gain experiences, create your resume and continue to work on it. Your resume is never complete, it is a continuous process. Take it to various people to proofread and check for content. It would be helpful to have someone who knows you review it so that they can give you some helpful feedback.

I hope you guys find these tips useful. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

If you’ve gone through the job search process, and you would like to share some tips, please leave them in the comments below.